Mobile phones have become an essential part of our lives. Mobile phone users can connect to others wherever they may be, including residence, offices, restaurants, cars, etc. as long as they are within the coverage area of the network. Newer technologies keep entering the mobile phone market promising improved communication speed and signal quality with added convenience to the user.
However, the benefits of mobility earned by mobile phones are compromised by battery runtimes. Every once in a while, mobile phones need to be charged from a power source. While a mobile phone is being charged, its user loses mobility because it needs to be plugged into the power source.
Various techniques have been developed for charging mobile phones. For example, mobile phones may be charged by a solar cell charger or hand-powered charger where no other power sources are available. However, these power charging techniques are primarily designed for use under emergency conditions due to their limited charging capability let alone the added cost.
With recent developments and reduced cost of ownership, electronic appliances and/or toys with mobility have gained popularity. Such devices are capable of autonomously sliding, moving, walking, or flying with the integrated motors at a given command. For example, Roomba™ by iRobot is an electronic vacuum robot that sweeps around the house and charges itself when a task is completed. Sony's toy dog robot can walk like a real dog and dock itself to a power station for charging when it detects low voltage from the battery.
Mobile phones and mobile robots are common in that they both are mobile. They require occasional charging because they are operated on a battery. However, mobile phones are carried by a human, hence the mobility thereof is limited by the mobility of the human who carries it. On the other hand, mobile robots are autonomously mobile such that they can move without human interruption. Mobile phones equipped with such autonomous mobility would not only eliminate human interruption for charging but also open up a new slew of opportunities that conventional mobile phones were incapable of providing because of the limited mobility and the requirement for human interruption for charging. Additionally, mobile phones equipped with autonomous mobility would be entertaining and provide pride of ownership to the consumers.